User:Vtran420/sandbox

No Place Like Home
Michelle Alexander brings up the issue of the difficulties prisoners face after being released from containment. She points out that finding a stable place to live is difficult because of housing discrimination- which was perfectly legal due to the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. This act allowed public and private landlords to pick and choose who they would lease to and gave them the power to evict anyone who engaged in criminal activity. Housing discrimination was allowed based on race, their families' behavior, criminal records, and even any criminal suspicion. Alexander additionally adds that more African Americans than Caucasian are targeted during this time due to the War On Drugs.

Boxed In
Alexander describes the difficulties ex-convicts experience when it comes to getting a job. It is unlikely for an ex-convict to become employed since it is required by law that they check the "yes" or "no" box of whether or not they have been convicted of a crime- even if it might be a crime committed when they were a teenager. According to a survey, forty state parole agencies out of fifty-one required convicts whom were released to be employed as soon as possible, otherwise they could face more jail time. Additionally, Alexander mentions that it is legal for employers to discriminate and even deny ex-convicts of a job or of people that have been arrested but not convicted.

The New Jim Crow Press Reviews
There has been much praise for The New Jim Crow from important figures such as Cornel West, Benjamin Jealous, Lani Guinier, Ronald E. Hampton, and David Lever. These people encourage others to read this book due to the important points Alexander argues about the society that African Americans live in and how they are treated. Glenn Loury- a professor of the Department of Economics at Brown University writes, “With imprisonment now the principal instrument of our social policy directed toward poorly educated black men, Michelle Alexander argues persuasively that the huge racial disparity of punishment in America is not the mere result of neutral state action. She sees the rise of mass incarceration as opening up a new front in the historic struggle for racial justice. And she’s right. If you care about justice in America, you need to read this book!” Newsweek writes, “Alexander is absolutely right to fight for what she describes as a ‘much needed conversation’ about the wide-ranging social costs and divisive racial impact of our criminal justice policies.”

Religious Employment Discrimination
“Religious discrimination is treating individuals differently in their employment because of their religion, their religious beliefs and practices, and/or their request for accommodation (a change in a workplace rule or policy) of their religious beliefs and practices. It also includes treating individuals differently in their employment because of their lack of religious belief or practice” (Workplace Fairness). According to The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are prohibited from refusing to hire an individual based on their religion- alike race, sex, age, and disability. If an employee believes that they have experienced religious discrimination, they should address this to the alleged offender. On the other hand, employees are protected by the law for reporting job discrimination and are able to file charges with the EEOC.